What is Community Newswire?
Community Newswire is a free news distribution service created by Media Trust for the Third Sector in partnership with The Press Association (PA). The Newswire service aims to make it as easy as possible for community and voluntary groups with little media contact, to get access to the media and get their voices heard.
How does the service work?
- Charities, community and voluntary organisations submit a press release to Community Newswire.
- A Press Association journalist turns each release used into a formatted story.
- Formatted stories are sent out via the PA wire* to be picked up by other journalists.
*The PA wire is an online subscription service which supplies journalists with up-to-date electronic news feeds.
How do I submit a news release to Community Newswire (CN)?
Either register for a Community Newswire account and upload your press releases to the website, or email them directly to communitynewswire@mediatrust.org or the Community Newswire Manager.
How do I know if my press release has been used?
An acknowledgment email is sent for all releases submitted to Community Newswire. Unfortunately due to the volume of stories received, immediate feedback can't be given. If you want to find out whether your release has been used, go to www.communitynewswire.press.net and search under the main topic of your story, or your organisation's name. Alternatively you can email the Community Newswire Manager.
What happens if my press release isn't used?
If your release hasn't been used by Community Newswire, you will be informed by the Community Newswire Manager who will also explain why and offer you helpful advice for the future.The main reason a story isn't used is when a release arrives too late for it to be considered news.
Will I be told if we get media coverage?
Currently, Community Newswire doesn't have a tracking or news cuttings service for stories picked up and used by the media. However we are looking into making this a possibility in the future.
What can I do to find out what coverage my organisation received?
Check on Community Newswire to see if your press release has been used as a story. If so then look in the local paper to see if the story has been picked up. Also try inputting key words from the title of your release into an online search engine such as Google.
Why do I have to fill in a feedback form before submitting a release?
Community Newswire is constantly striving to improve and evolve. Your feedback is important as it helps us make sure you're getting the best possible service.
What happens if I forget my password?
Please send an email to the Community Newswire Editor stating your name, organisation and email address and the IT team at PA will resend the password.
Got an unanswered question?
See more Community Newswire FAQ's or email the Community Newswire team for further information.